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The 'OutDaughtered' Kids Shared A Very Special Reading Moment On Instagram

After introducing the world to the first set of quintuplet girls born in the U.S., the Busby family quickly worked their way into the hearts of families everywhere. The more I see of these little girls, the more I love them. This week, Adam Busby shared this video of Hazel Busby reading to her sister and it was one of the sweetest story times that I have ever seen.

The Busby quints seem to be growing like weeds. According to the family blog, It's a Buzz World, the five youngest girls — Olivia Marie, Ava Lane, Hazel Grace, Parker Kate, and Riley Paige — have started Pre-K and their older sister Blayke is in 2nd grade. In a recent video clip of Hazel and Blayke, it looks like reading is on the Pre-K curriculum for this family.

In the video, Hazel is reading the book Today I'll Be A Princess to her older sister and adding her own commentary, according to In Touch Weekly. Along with being seriously adorable, the video shows how dedicated the Busby family is to their children's literacy and learning — a trait that will serve them well as their girls progress through school. Fostering a love for reading at an early age is an important step towards scholarly success.

Childhood reading has been tied to a variety of intellectual advantages, and not just those related to verbal ability. In 2014, scientists from Edinburgh and King’s College London monitored 1,890 pairs of identical twins over the course of nine years to determine how reading impacts overall intelligence. Their findings suggested that those children with better reading abilities had higher general intelligence and were more capable of spotting patterns, observing trends, and completing pictures, according to Daily Mail U.K.

The authors of the study, published in the journal Child Development, believe that reading teaches young children to use their imaginations, a skill that helps them to do abstract and rational thinking that is crucial for math and science ability, as Daily Mail U.K. reported:

Better reading ability may improve knowledge of specific facts, but it may also allow abstract thinking skills to be gained via the process of taking on the perspectives of fictional or historical characters, or imagining other worlds, times, and scenarios.

The Busbys also prioritize STEM — or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — in their home. One of Adam's recent Instagram posts explained that the number of women in STEM fields has dropped over recent years, and the Busbys aren't interested in contributing to that trend. Fortunately for them, reading at home is a great place to start.

All of this information on the benefits of reading may have you wondering how to make reading a priority with your own children. Even if they are too young to read on their own, there is a lot that parents can do to get them headed in the right direction. Pearson recommends beginning by getting children familiar with language and books. Along with reading aloud to your child, reading in front of them and surrounding them with books helps to instill a love for reading. Children are more likely to want to read themselves when they see their parents reading, and something as simple weekly trips to the library for story time can make a huge difference.

But, above all else, Pearson recommended that parents spend time talking with their children to grow their vocabulary:

Most importantly, talk to your child. Spend time with them, doing simple activities (like cooking and making things). As you talk about what you’re doing, you are helping them to learn new words. Later, when they see words written down, they’ve already heard them and know what they mean.

The Busbys have made reading and learning a priority in their home and their kids will likely reap the benefits. Should you choose to do the same, your kids will thank you.